A Spiritual Journey by Wendell BerryThe world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles, no matter how long, but only by a spiritual journey, a journey of one inch, very arduous and humbling and joyful, by which we arrive at the ground at our feet, and learn to be at home.

Dante and Virgil arrive at the base of Mount Purgatory on Easter morning. A boat of souls arrives and the strains of the psalm, In exito Isreal is sung. Now thatVirgil and Dante have come out of Hell, the world is right side up (mirroring the inversion of Christ’s Beatitudes, which will form a pivotal part of the journey through Purgatory). Everything from Hell is now backwards- what was last is first, what was first, is last. As the pilgrims progress, they meet examples of both vice and its corrective virtue. The Virgin Mary, as Queen of all virtues, is the example par excellence of each virtue, but Jewish figures from the Bible and real historical personages also serve as role models for virtue. Every circle of Purgatory has its own song that the souls sing in order to help cleanse them of their faults.

An angel guards the gate of purgatory- to unlock the doors, you need two keys: Repentence and Reconciliation. An angel with a flaming sword brands Dante with seven “p”s on his forehead, for “peccatore”- sins. As he ascends in virtue and grace, these will magically disappear, and his way will become easier and lighter.

The purpose of Purgatory is to correct the mistakes of Love: Perverted, Deficient, or Excessive/Disordered. Each soul embraces their suffering willingly: they are on the “honor system” and inwardly knows when they are fit to ascend to the next level.

The Medieval era had a rich tradition of music for pilgrimage, especially music that was sung on pilgrimage in Spain to Compostela and Montserrat. Below are some of my favorite pieces and recordings:

Espana Antiqua, Jordi Savall and Hesperion XXThe Black Madonna: Pilgrim Songs from the Monastery of Montserrat, Michael Posch and the Unicorn EnsembleOn the Road to Compostela and Rosa das Rosas, The Rose EnsembleFrom Byzantium to Andalusia: Medieval Poetry and Music, Oni Wytars EnsembleOn the Way to Bethlehem: Music of the Medieval Pilgrim, Oni Wytars EnsembleMiracles of Santiago, Anonymous 4Spanish Music of Travel and Discovery, Michael Jaffe and the Waverly Consort